A girl is Arya Stark of Winterfell
by pistonsfan75
Summary: The Citadel supplies maesters to the House of Black and White to create and study poisons. In return, the Faceless Men intervene when a maester feels his life is in danger. Arya is sent to Winterfell after Maester Wolken requests assistance. She's shocked by the condition she finds Sansa in, at the hands of Ramsey.
1. Chapter 1

"Finally, a girl is no one." Ja'qen H'gar's voice remained even, but Arya spied the slightest hint of pride in his eyes.

"A girl is Arya Stark of Winterfell and I'm going home."

"A girl should know, there is trouble in Winterfell."

"Trouble? What do you mean?"

"The Boltons have taken your home. Their maester fears for his life. They hold your sister captive. The stories of her torture have reached Braavos."

"A girl will go North and take back her home. She will rescue her sister."

Ja'qen turned, beckoning Arya to follow. They walked through candlelit halls until they reached the apothecary. Here, the Faceless men kept their most prized weapon, poison. Several maesters moved about the huge room, creating and maintaining the arsenal. Every poison known to man, from the Westerlands to Asshai, was produced here, as well as the antidotes.

These maesters were different. They didn't work to save lives, unless it was to tend to an ill or wounded Faceless Man. Their lives were spent creating death. The Citadel supplied the House of Black and White with maesters when needed, and in return, received research data on the effects of the poisons and on new poisons developed. The writings in the Citadel regarding poisons had all come from the Faceless Men.

More than once, when the Citadel had received word that a maester was not being treated well while working for a high lord, the Faceless Men were called upon to remedy the situation. This is how Ja'qen had come to know of the situation in Winterfell. A raven had been sent to the Citadel, from Maester Wolken. He was the Bolton's maester at Dreadfort.

_"I have_ n_ow set up my apothecary in Winterfell. _

_Lord Bolton__'s newly legitimize__d son has fallen ill to the Sothoryan pox. _

_As he is quite ill, I seek your council."_

There was no such thing as a Sothoryan pox, except to the Citadel. It was code for a maester feeling that his life was in danger. In their training, they learned various codes to use in their raven communications with each other. This was the most critical.

"The Citadel has asked for our help with the Boltons. Your sister is in dire circumstances. She is a prisoner. You will be her lifeline."

Ja'qen handed several tiny bottles to Arya. "Free Winterfell from the Boltons and free your sister. When you do that, the maester will be freed as well."

Arya nodded. "I will leave tomorrow for Westeros and Winterfell."

He watched her walk away. It would be difficult to replace her. She'd far exceeded his expectations and become a deadly force to be reckoned with. He'd known all along that her life was driven by the need for revenge, starting with her father's death. After the Red Wedding, he hadn't been surprised when she'd shown up, seeking training. Her family had been betrayed and murdered, and she intended to eliminate every person responsible.

When the other female assassin had asked for permission to kill her, he'd known Arya would prevail. When he saw the girl's head in the Hall of Faces, he knew he was right.

The next morning, Arya boarded a ship headed for King's Landing. From there, she sailed to White Harbor.

At Winterfell, she disguised herself as a Wintertown girl needing work. Ja'qen had allowed her one face from the hall. At first, she simply washed dishes as a scullery maid named Teresa. This was hot, tedious and repetitive work.

After a month, the girl who normally served the meals to the family disappeared. There was whispers in the kitchens that the Bolton son, Ramsey, had killed her.

'Teresa' was selected to be their new server. It was perfect. Just before she carried out dishes of food, an older lady who cleaned the castle pulled her aside.

"Be careful. He'll try to touch you."

"Who?"

"Ramsey, Lord Bolton's son."

"Yes, ma'am. I'll be careful."

Arya made her way out to the great hall where the family ate.

"Hello, melords and melady." She remembered Lord Tywin's admonishment to her.

_"Melord"_

_"I'm sorry?"_

_"If you're going to pretend to be low born, then you need to say 'melord' instead of 'my lord'."_

Lord Bolton smiled, but his vacant, empty eyes were creepier than Ser Maryn Trant's. His wife smiled a warm smile at her. "Hello, Teresa. Welcome to Winterfell." Ramsey was silent as his eyes moved up and down her body. She wanted to cut his throat for leering at her, but knew she must bide her time.

Sansa was not there. But Theon was. He came to the kitchen to gather her tray so he could bring it to her. Arya had to pretend not to know him, but she was shocked at the sight of him. He was thin and timid, nothing like the cocky jerk she'd known years ago.

The next morning, it was Arya's job to deliver Sansa's tray to her after she'd served the rest of the family. Theon was unable to, having been beaten unconscious by Ramsey for trying to help Sansa escape.

"Don't let her leave her room. Ramsey doesn't want her coming out. And don't talk to her. Make sure you lock the door again. " The older lady handed her a key.

Arya balanced the tray with one arm while she unlocked the door. As she entered, Sansa jumped back and gasped.

Arya had to hide her shock at her sister's appearance. She was pale, thin and disheveled. Her arms were bare, and they were covered in bruises and cuts. She was crying. There was several good sized spots of blood on the bed sheets.

As she set down her tray on a table, Sansa stared at her. Arya stared back. True to her instructions, she didn't speak to her.

Noticing the fire had nearly gone out, Arya added more wood to it and stoked it until the room felt warm. Then she looked back at her older sister. She'd never felt so helpless in her life.

Sansa turned around for a moment, and Arya had to swallow bile when she saw the cuts, bruises and gouges that covered her bare back. There was not an inch untouched.

Satisfied that the fire was roaring sufficiently for the time being, Arya turned to leave. She gave a small bow.

"Melady"

After locking the door behind her, Arya took a deep breath.

"No one touches a Stark and gets away with it."

Now that she knew how dire her sister's situation was, she was very glad she was there.

Inside the bedroom, Sansa stared at the door. There had been something familiar about the servant girl who'd brought her breakfast, though she was sure they'd never met. As their eyes had met, Sansa felt like the girl could see into her soul.

Arya brought her sister her evening meal as well. She also managed to bring a few pieces of firewood, and stoked the fire again.

The next morning, Maester Wolken met her in the kitchen as she prepared Sansa's tray. He placed a cup of tea on the tray and briefly tapped his belly. "Lady Sansa is ill in the stomach this morning, girl." Moon tea. Arya told him she would make sure Sansa drank it.

Then she whispered to him "Valor Morghulis". He quietly looked at her for a moment, then nodded knowingly and whispered back, "Valor Dohaeris".

There was a new bruise on Sansa's arm and new blood stains on the sheet.

Arya handed the tea directly to her sister. "The maester sends tea for your digestion, melady." Sansa nodded and quickly drank it.

Before Arya left to lock her sister in her prison, she turned to look in her eyes. Sansa returned her gaze. Arya knew it was time to make her moves.

That night as she plated everyone's meals, she pulled a bottle out of her small clothes. Manticore venom. This she shook over Lord Bolton's food. To mark the plate, she put a tiny smear of the gravy on the edge.

For Ramsey, she used another bottle of poison called The Long Night. Not to be confused with The Long Farewell, which was the favored poison in Doorne. To mark this plate, she moved the piece of meat to the edge slightly.

The Long Night caused total paralysis but the victim was still aware and could feel pain. Death was certain, but not for days.

As Arya served the Boltons their meals, she acted as nonchalant as possible. As she walked the dishes and pans, she heard shouts.

All of the servants ran to the great hall. Lord Bolton lay face down on the floor by his chair. The maester turned him onto his back and checked his pulse, then looked up and shook his head.

Ramsey tried to stand up, but he was unable to move or speak. With much difficulty, Maester Wolken and Arya and several men carried him to his room. As the maester kicked everyone out and examined him, Arya slipped to Sansa's room. Unlocking it, she entered and stood before Sansa.

"Come with me, melady. Your husband is ill. His father is dead."

Sansa looked shocked, but wordlessly followed Arya. Ramsey stared at Sansa as they entered, but was unable to move a muscle.

Maester Wolken told Sansa that her husband was paralyzed completely. He pulled a knife out of the man's pocket and handed it to her before leaving the room. Now it was just the three of them. Arya stared into Ramsey's eyes and pulled off the face she'd been wearing.

"My name is Arya Stark. I'm here to rescue my sister and reclaim our home. You will never hurt a Stark again." The fear and rage was evident in Ramsey's eyes, but he was completely helpless.

"Arya? What are you doing here? Why did you have a different face? What is going on?"

Arya turned to her sister. "I joined the Faceless Men. They sent me here to rescue you and our home." Arya nodded towards Ramsey. "He'll never move again. I made sure of that. He's all yours." Sansa looked at the knife in her hand and then at her husband and then at Arya.

Arya nodded at her and excused herself and went to the great hall where Lord Bolton's body still lay on the floor. Theon stood over it, shocked.

"Theon, help me get him."

"Not Theon. Reek."

Arya grabbed his arm. "You are Theon Greyjoy. You're free now. Ramsey is upstairs in his bed, completely paralyzed. Lord Bolton is dead. Now help me."

The two of them dragged him to the kennel, where Arya stole his face and fed the rest of him to the hounds.

Wearing his face, she retrieved several barrels of ale and added The Long Farewell to them, then her and Theon brought the ale to the Bolton army outside the Winterfell walls. Arya, wearing Lord Bolton's face, barked out that it was just for the soldiers.

As they started to drink it down, the two of them walked away. When they were out of site, Arya removed the face. Seeing Theon's reaction, she steered him to a quiet corner. There she explained that she was a Faceless Man and what that meant. Then she gave him a knife and sent him to Ramsey's room.

Arya made her way to the maester's chambers.

"The Faceless Men sent you?"

"Aye. I'm Arya Stark. The Citadel received your raven requesting help and called upon us. I was already coming here, so I was given the task."

"Thank you."

"Now that Ramsey is incapacitated, you'll see to my sister's wounds?"

"Aye. I will."

"Send a raven to Jon Snow at Castle Black. Tell him we are here and have possession of Winterfell."

"Yes, my lady."

Arya slowly made her way back up to Ramsey's room, unsure what she would find.

Sansa and Theon had definitely doled out an eye for an eye. Every wound he had inflicted on them was given back to him.

Down the hall, Miranda could be heard calling him. Arya quickly dispatched her as she appeared in the doorway.

Maester Wolken brought Sansa down to his chambers to treat her wounds. The slices and abrasions were easily treated, but the flayed patches on her back, thighs and buttocks would take weeks to heal. She was missing two toes.

For several days, Ramsey remained alive but paralyzed. For those days, it was made sure of that he felt the same suffering he'd inflicted on others. When the maester said he was near death, he was given to the hounds.

Sansa and Theon were now truly free.

Arya left Winterfell in Sansa's capable hands and headed to the Frey's, promising to return after avenging the deaths of their mother, brother, unborn niece/nephew and sister-in-law. Jon sent a raven saying he was bringing 5,000 wildlings south of the wall and returning to Winterfell. Rickon and Osha returned to Winterfell after hearing that the Boltons were dead. Some time later, Bran returned with Meera Reed.

All of the living Starks had returned to their ancestral home. They gathered in the crypt, in front of their parents' statues. No matter what came their way, they would face it together.


	2. Chapter 2

...

Arya infiltrated The Twins much like how she had infiltrated Winterfell when it was under the command of the Boltons. She showed up asking for a job, stating she was good at kitchen work. This time, she wore Miranda's face and shapely figure.

The first people she'd talked to were Lother and Black Walder. She couldn't help but notice the way they leered at her and figured they gave her the job so they could put their hands on her.

Back at the House of Black and White, Arya had become accustomed to all manners of servitude. She washed clothes, swept and scrubbed floors, scrubbed dishes and pans and cleaned the bodies of the dead.

She'd become accustomed to sleeping on the ground while traveling with Yoren, Sandor Clegane and the Brotherhood. She'd grown accustomed to hunger while a prisoner at Harrenhall.

Everything she had experienced up until now helped her with each new endeavor.

At The Twins, she slept on the floor again. She was allowed one meal a day. Like at Winterfell, she started out as a scullery maid and then became a server and sometimes a cook. After a few weeks, Black Walder told her she could have a bed of her own if she slept with him. Arya turned him down.

Arya heard talk that her Uncle Edmure was still a prisoner in the dungeon below The Twins. After she eliminated the Freys, she planned to free him and reunite him with his son and wife.

One day, she was sent to the stables to bring fresh goat's milk. While she was there, Lother appeared and started trying to kiss and touch her. When he started trying to yank her clothes off, she pulled out a hidden knife and slit his throat. Black Walder had appeared just afterward and she snuck up behind him and slit his throat as well.

Arya stole Black Walder's face and sent the other cooks away for the day. With much difficulty, she cut away bits from both to use in a pie.

Walder liked to eat alone, before the rest of his family. That evening, he'd been expecting his eldest two sons to join him after a trip they'd taken to check on River Run. He'd waited all day for them to show up. When they'd returned, only Arya had known they were home.

Several other normal meat pies were baked for the rest of the family, but Arya took extra special care with Walder's. She tried to remember Hot Pie's ramblings about cooking, but couldn't recall much of what he'd said.

The eldest Frey loved Arya's cooking. As she served him a second slice, he began hitting on her and then bitching about his missing sons.

"You're not one of mine, are you?"

"No, my Lord."

"I didn't think so. Too pretty." He smacked Arya's butt and she jumped, ready to strike.

"Where are my damn moron sons? Lother and Black Walder promised to be here by midday."

"They're here, my Lord."

"What are they doing, trimming their cunt hairs? Tell them to come here. Now."

"They're here, my Lord." Arya waited while he looked around, confused.

Finally, she leaned in close and gestured to the pie. "Here, my Lord."

Walder Frey set down his challis and looked at the pie closer. He lifted up the crust and gasped when he spied a finger just under it.

"They weren't easy to carve, especially Black Walder." The old man stared at her in horror.

Arya pulled off Miranda's mask, revealing her true identity to the man who had murdered her family. Fear replaced horror as he stared at her, realizing that he'd been caught in the Faceless Men's crosshairs.

"My name is Arya Stark. I want you to know that the last thing you're ever going to see is a Stark smiling down at you as you die."

He tried to run away, but Arya easily yanked him back into his chair and quickly slit his throat. As he grabbed at his neck, Arya turned so he could see her face as his life slipped away. He tried, with his last breath, to tell her he was sorry.

After he was gone, Arya quickly stole his face and clothing, then dragged his body to the pigs' pen. Pigs are able to dispose of a body, as they'll eat anything but metal. (At least according to Gentleman Jack.)

Wearing the face of Walder Frey, she quickly put together plans for a feast in 3 day's time. Until then, she had to wear this unpleasant man's face. She'd spent enough time there already to learn his routine.

When she went to bed that night, she had to sleep in his face because his wife slept next to her. When the girl, who was younger than Arya herself, had entered the master suite, she'd stripped her clothes off and laid down. From the fearful way she kept glancing at her 'husband', it was obvious she expected to be touched and forced into having sex. Arya/Walder barked that he was too tired and to just go to sleep. The girl breathed a sigh of relief and finally fell asleep. It was obvious that she had come to expect being raped and brutalized as part of her every day life since being married against her will to Walder Frey. Arya was certain those three nights were the most peaceful nights the girl had spent in years.

Plenty of wine freshly delivered from the Reach sat in the cellar, so Arya infused all of it generously with Manticore venom. She sent word out to all of the Frey banners and kin that a feast was being held in their honor.

Before the feast, she roared at the other serving girls that they were not to touch the wine.

At the feast, she sat and watched everyone eat and listened to their ramblings. When most of the plates were empty, she knocked her challis against the table several times, and the chatter stopped.

"I bet you're wondering why I've called you all here today. After all, we just had a feast. Since when does old Walder give two feasts in a single fortnight?" Everybody laughed.

"It's no sense being Lord of the Riverlands if you can't celebrate with your family. That's what I say."

Arya nodded at the servant girls to start serving her wine.

"I've gathered every Frey that means a damn thing so I can share my plans for this great house now that winter is here. But first, a toast. No more of that Doornish horse piss. This is the finest Arbor Gold."

Arya stood up and raised her challis. "Stand together." Everyone stood and echoed it back, then took a sip. She watched as they all drank her poisoned wine.

Seeing her 'wife' next to her reach for her glass, she quickly moved to stop her. "Not you. I'm not wasting good wine on a damn woman!"

She turned back towards the rest of the room. "I'm not the most pleasant man, I'll admit it, but I'm proud of you lot. You're my family, the men who helped me slaughter the Starks at the Red Wedding."

Several people laughed and cheered. Arya wanted to vomit.

"Brave men, all of you. Butchered a woman, pregnant with her babe." The room became dead silent. Arya had heard of Talisa Stark's pregnancy while she was at The Twins. A niece or nephew she'd never get to meet.

"Cut the throat of a mother of five. Slaughtered your guests after inviting them into your home."

A few people were starting to cough. "But you didn't slaughter all of the Starks. No, no. That was your mistake."

Guests were starting to cough up blood and fall.

"Leave one wolf alive and the sheep are never safe."

When every guest had fallen down dead, Arya pulled off Walder Frey's face and turned to his shocked wife.

"When people ask you what happened here, tell them the North remembers. Tell them winter came for House Frey."

Before she left the castle, Arya freed her uncle from his dungeon. She told the servant girls to get him a hot meal followed by a hot bath and clean clothes, then reunite him with his wife and son.

Back home, she recalled the events for Bran, Sansa and Jon. Jon was proud of the badass Arya had become.


	3. Chapter 3

After the Battle of Winterfell, Arya was restless. She was everyone's hero now, after killing the Night King. The night of the feast, she had been knighted by Ser Brienne for her deeds.

Arya hadn't wanted it, but everyone at the feast insisted. After Gendry had proposed and she'd declined, he'd brought her into the great hall. Everyone had started chanting "knight, knight, knight" until Ser Brienne had nodded in acquiescence. She stood before Arya and nodded at her to kneel. Then she tapped her sword on Arya's shoulders and head.

In the name of the Warrior,

I charge you to be brave.

In the name of the Father,

I charge you to be just.

In the name of the Mother,

I charge you to defend the innocent.

Arise, Arya Stark,

a knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

Arya knew a knight was held to certain standards of conduct. The way she killed would not be considered acceptable.

Bran and Sansa were staying back and Jon was headed south to King's Landing with his dragon Queen.

Arya still had one name on her list. Cersei. Sandor Clegane had firmly informed her more than once that his brother was his to kill, and his alone. She bowed out, and took him off her list.

When Jaime left Ser Brienne in the middle of the night, he thought no one else was watching. He was wrong.

Arya was awake, pacing the halls and decks, planning her next moves. When she saw Jaime leaving, she quickly gathered her already packed belongings. She grabbed food from the kitchens and jumped on her horse.

She followed Jaime from a distance for a couple days, watching. When he made camp and fell asleep, she made her move. She slit his throat before he knew what had hit him.

Ja'qen H'gar had taught her how to creep up on someone without them knowing. He had her practice sneaking into his room or the waif's at night to try not to wake them up. It took her 2 months, because they both woke so easily. Every failure resulted in the sleeping person getting to punch her. The night Arya successfully snuck into Ja'qen's room, she stood watching him sleep all night, until he woke up in the morning and discovered that she'd bested him.

By morning, Arya had donned Jaime's face. She continued on to King's Landing.

The further south she traveled, the better she was treated. She was given free rooms and meals at inns. Young women gave her lots of attention. One even snuck into her hotel room and it took much effort on Arya's part to get her to leave. At Hot Pie's inn, she pulled her longtime friend into another room and showed him her real face.

"How did you do that, Arry?"

"I'm a Faceless Man, now."

"I wondered why Jaime Lannister was being so friendly to me. Did you really kill the Night King? It's all everyone talks about. I was so proud of you when I heard."

"Yes. I really killed him. With a Valyrian steel dagger."

She spotted Sandor Clegane on his way down, but because she was wearing Jaime's face, she left him alone. But, she traveled nearby, to keep an eye on him, ready to jump in should he meet with an enemy.

King's Landing was chaotic. People were everywhere, trying to get into the castle. But Arya knew every secret passage in and out of the city and the Red Keep, thanks to her days spent chasing a cat all over the castle and the city. She wondered if Syrio had been preparing her for future missions should she join the Faceless Men.

She quickly and easily snuck into the castle, and found Cersei up in her room, watching Daenarys Targaryan burning Euron's ships and her wall mounted scorpions, and looking fearful.

"Could I have a moment with my sister?"

The Mountain and Qyburn left, along with the rest of the Queen's Guard.

Cersei ran into what looked like her brother's arms.

"You came back for me!"

"I came back for you."

Arya held Cersei close for a few minutes, then stabbed her and laid her down on the floor. There was a secret passage out of Cersei's rooms, so she quickly crept through it.

Outside, she found Euron, bleeding and burned, leaning against the rocks. She remembered when she'd overheard Jon, Daenerys, Varys and Tyrion talking about him, engaged him in a sword fight and won. Then she shed Jaime's face.

King's Landing was quickly becoming an inferno, so she rode away from it as fast as she could. From the top of a hill, she watched the city set aflame. A huge knot formed in her gut. Her and Sansa's misgivings about the Dragon Queen were right.

Arya knew what her next move needed to be. Daenarys needed to die. She made camp on the hill, but didn't light a fire, in case the murderous queen were to spot her and set her dragon on her.

The next day, the fires had died down, so Arya made her way toward's King's Landing again. Just outside the gates, she spotted Jon, walking amidst the Dothraki and Unsullied.

She watched from the shadows as he made his way up the stairs next to Daenarys. Then she watched the queen make her speech, addressing her armies in their own languages. She caught one word- Winterfell.

That could only mean one thing, that she was headed back to Winterfell to kill Sansa and Bran, take it over and "free" everyone who disagreed with her.

Arya would be damned if she was going to let Daenarys burn Winterfell and the North.

After the speech, Arya walked over to Jon.

"She needs to die."

"She's our queen."

"She's not my queen. She's not the queen of the North. I heard her say Winterfell. She's going to burn our home next. She'll never stop. If you don't do it, I will."

"I'll do it. I promise."

"Jon. I mean it."

"I promise."

Jon made good on his promise. He killed Daenerys Targaryan as she stood in the battered throne room, ready to claim the iconic seat created by her ancestors.

Unfortunately, the Unsullied arrested him soon after, for murdering their queen. Arya was able to slip into the Red Keep unnoticed, though.

A few silent steps later, she wore an Unsullied guard's face.

She quickly freed Jon, and they crept out of the Red Keep. Jon looked mystified and confused, but followed her. Once they were out of sight of the Red Keep, she pulled off the Unsullied guard's face. Jon just stared, with his mouth gaping open. It was the first time he'd seen her skills as a Faceless Assassin in action.

"Thank you, Arya.

"You're welcome. You're my brother, what else was I to do?"

They headed north, far away from the King's road. Jon planned to go beyond the wall, to join the Free Folk. Arya planned to buy a ship and sail west, beyond Westeros. A few weeks into their journey, they spotted their wolf sigil on a caravan of wagons heading south.

They rode over and discovered Sansa, Bran, Ser Brienne and others. All were headed south to King's Landing, initially to free Jon but also to join other great houses to choose a king.

Jon continued north, being a fugitive, but Arya joined them. No one suspected it was her who had freed Jon from his prison. Her secret was safe with her siblings and Ser Brienne.

After they had all chosen Bran to be king, Arya bid both her siblings goodbye. She'd managed to buy a ship, hire a crew who were as adventurous as her, and even put her wolf sigil on the sails. It was finally time to realize her dream of sailing west of Westeros.


End file.
